


You Have the Right to Remain Violent

by animatedrose



Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Arcane flight, Dragon Eggs, Dragons, Driftwood Drag, F/F, F/M, FR user ManicMagistrate's dragon clan, Flit and Mossbeard are part of my lair, Foxfire Bramble, Guardian - Freeform, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Nesting, No humans, Shadowbinder - Freeform, Skydancer - Freeform, Sornieth, Sorry Not Sorry, Tangled Wood, Tundra - Freeform, Wispwillow Grove, arcanist, auction house, breed changing, characters used from the game Flight Rising, fae, i own nobody but my dergs, i'm so sorry for ManicMagistrate for turning her progen into a psycho, imperial - Freeform, intro swamping at first, magic corruption, may update prologue on occassion to reflect this, mirror, psycho Fae, purchasing dergs, shadow flight, story is constantly progressing in-game, this is pretty much a co-op story between us, trading dergs between lairs, treasure and gem currency
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-07-14 22:37:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7193720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animatedrose/pseuds/animatedrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A flight of Sornieth dragons in Shadow territory consists entirely of Fae, led by the malevolent Manic. But she wasn't always this way. This is the story of her clan's fall from innocence and grace...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, been playing a lot of Flight Rising with my friends. We’re all sick people and this ended up being spawned. I decided to center this around Faes and thus ManicMagistrate’s FR clan…because she only has Faes.
> 
> They’re just so cute and innocent-looking at first glance…so we went and twisted that to hell.
> 
> Sorry if you get scarred by this. Mainly starring Fae dergs but other species will appear in main roles. Sexual content will be prevalent, as well as homosexual relationships between dergs of both genders. This is by no means a PG fic, let me tell you.
> 
> Summary is from lyrics in Evans Blues’ song “Beyond the Stars”. Title is from the opening line of Hollywood Undead’s song “Kill Everyone”.
> 
> ManicMagistrate, I am so sorry for us turning your namesake derg into a psycho…

Faes originated from the Starwood Strand deep within the confines of the Starfall Isles, home to the Arcanist, the youngest of the eleven dragon deities of Sornieth. The smallest breed of dragon, they are also the most powerful in terms of magical combat. A Fae battled on their field of choice will always win in a hail of elemental destruction.

Though coming from Arcane territory, Fae have spread out far and wide across the world around them. Many of the deities have welcomed Fae onto their lands until they’ve become one of the most plentiful of dragons, their colonies numbering into the thousands. These are just the wild, free-roaming colonies.

Clan-bound Fae live in smaller groups, dependent on how large their lair gets. Most of these clans are of mixed breeds of dragons—Guardians, Tundras, Mirrors, and so on. Very rarely do clans specialize in one species alone.

Deep within Shadow territory, such a clan exists. A clan made purely of Fae.

But it did not start this way. It first started as a union between a Fae and a Guardian. Fae, so in-tune with magic, are susceptible to a corruption of that very magic. Such a corruption could have many different effects.

For a clan of Fae in the Foxfire Bramble, it became an obsession with breed purity. An obsession with segregation of species. An obsession with control of the Fae as a species.

And it all started with one Fae by the name of Manic…


	2. On the First Page of Our Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First few chapters may get a bit boring with hatchling intros and stuff. There is plot, however, trust me!
> 
> ManicMagistrate's lair - http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=userpage&id=227372 (haven't figured out how to insert links anywhere but in the story itself yet)

The Fae clan of the Foxfire Bramble did not always live in Foxfire Bramble. They started out in Driftwood Drag. What currently numbers at over seventy dragons originally started with just two, as most clans do.

In the second month of the new year, two dragons crossed paths that would end in one of two results. One would be a happy union. The other would lead to destruction and pain.

Their intention had been the former.

Their end result became the latter.

On the second month of the new year, an egg hatched deep in the depths of the Tangled Wood. Far from its native Starwood Strand, the egg hatched alone and uncared for. The murk and gloom of the place enveloped the young Fae, her eyes becoming a deep violet to match her birthplace.

Her skin was a bright shade of white, nearly blinding in the dark of the forest. Her wings and crests were a rich shade of red with soft coral mixed in. She stuck out in the gloom of the forest. A predator could pick the tiny Fae off in an instant.

For days, she wandered between the broken logs and softly glowing mushrooms in search of life. The river, filled with junk and polluted by sludge, served as home only to sardines of such a bony texture that they couldn’t possibly be eaten. She spat them out and hunted for insects. All other food was bland in comparison to the juicy crunch of a thin buggy carapace between her jaws.

She soon came across the first living dragon she had ever seen. He was bigger than her by several meters, a deep blue color with carmine wings. He had crests jutting from his legs and neck, horns curling from his head, and a beard swaying from his lower jaw.

He was a Guardian, one of the larger species of dragon in Sornieth.

For days, she trailed the carnivorous behemoth. If he noticed her, he made no outward gesture to signal so. He merely plodded through the dark, stopping near glowing mushrooms to feed and sleep.

Once, when he slept, the tiny Fae dared to touch him. She grew braver with each attempt, going from poking to touching to climbing within hours. That was how she first registered that he knew she was there. He laughed as she scaled his bony back, dodging around the spines and moving from head to tail tip. When she returned to the ground, he rolled to face her.

“I was wondering when you’d get close enough to talk to.” His voice was loud and booming, all around her.

The Fae puffed bravely, trying to look bigger. She would show no fear. “So you did know.”

“Yes, I did,” the Guardian confirmed. “What’s a tiny thing like you doing in a place like this? Don’t you guys live in Arcane territory?”

“I hatched here, so this is my territory,” the Fae declared bravely.

“You live here? In the Tangled Wood? Wow,” the Guardian breathed. “I hatched here too. The name is King.”

“I am Manic,” the Fae replied.

“You sure seem manic to me,” King chuckled.

Manic decided she liked King. He was big and loud and asked too many questions, but he was welcome company. It beat curling up in a tree alone, struggling to stay warm when the temperature dropped at night. King was warm, a giant heater. He didn’t mind curling around the tiny white Fae.

They eventually settled down together amongst the rotten logs and leaf litter near the river delta. Though silt-filled, water was water and neither dragon would complain. Resources were plentiful so starvation wasn’t an issue. They had a wonderful view of the stars, something in Manic faintly reminding her that stars were important to her kind in some way.

They chose to stay together in the Driftwood Drag and make their own lair. King clawed out a nest to lie in while Manic spun sap into a nest in a tree nearby. The tiny nest was rarely used. Manic felt more comfortable curling up against King’s bulk.

They were not the only dragons in Driftwood Drag, of course. There were other clans present, though they seemed content to avoid one another. Visitors from other flights came through too, hunting for food and resources to use in their own lairs. Manic couldn’t help but be curious about these visitors with their differently-colored eyes.

On her sixth day of life, when Manic finally approached one, she found her first non-Shadow friend.

It was a tiny Fae, purple with lavender wings and crests. She was smaller than Manic, far smaller. With her was a swamp-colored Guardian with green wings. He was far larger than King was and looked much older too. King was hesitant to approach, so Manic did it for him.

“Hello!” she chirped, hoping she sounded welcoming.

“Oh, hello!” the purple Fae chirped back.

The green Guardian groaned, rolling pink eyes. Pink meant Arcane. These were Arcane dragons.

“I’m Manic.”

“I’m Flit. And that’s Mossbeard,” the purple Fae introduced, zipping over to pat the swampy Guardian on the head. “Be nice, not rude. Okay?”

“No promises,” Mossbeard rumbled, clearly agitated.

“Hey, do you live around here? I don’t have a lot of friends in Shadow territory,” Flit admitted sheepishly.

Manic couldn’t help but marvel at Flit’s size. She was almost double the purple Fae’s height! She hadn’t thought that adult dragons could be so small.

“Guessing you’re just a hatchling, guessing from your nosiness,” Mossbeard rumbled.

“I’m a few days old, yes,” Manic confirmed.

Flit’s cheeks colored, her crests stiffening. “Wow! I feel so old now… Mossbeard and I are both six months old.”

 _Six months old and she’s half the size of a Fae that’s just a few days old. How unfortunate,_ part of Manic whispered meanly.

“You know, if you need some company, I know a few clans looking to get rid of members,” Flit offered. “The more, the merrier, I say!”

So Flit told Manic about the clans she knew, the ones she heard were getting rid of hatchlings, the Auction House where dragons were sold, and the chance of finding eggs in the wilderness alone. Midway through the conversation, Flit made a startling decision.

“Some of the Fae in my clan are trying to move out on their own. Maybe you could take some of them in. I’m sure they’d like the change in scenery.”

“Flit, you barely know them and you’re trusting them with some of our clanmates?” Mossbeard asked incredulously.

“Well…I feel like I’ve known her forever. We just clicked, you know?” Flit explained.

“No, I don’t know. I never clicked with anyone before and I’m not sure I want to if it causes you to make weird decisions like this,” Mossbeard declared.

“Then let’s let Jet decide,” Flit suggested. “He’s here with us.”

“Wherever he’s gone,” Mossbeard growled, annoyed.

A sharp crashing signaled the panicked “Incoming!!” as a Fae plunged from the treetops above to crash-land in the grass between the two pairs. Flit shrieked and dove to him, checking him over. Mossbeard rolled his pink eyes and huffed out a “He’s fine, Flit, relax.”

The Fae got up, shaking off firmly. He was obsidian with light blue wings—splash colored, Manic had to guess. He was just a bit bigger than her, too. It was only when he rose did she realize that his skin and wings shone like crystals. He glittered and reflected light back from the mushrooms with each movement.

“Manic, this is Jet,” Flit introduced. “Jet, Manic is new to the Tangled Wood. If you want to move out so bad and like it here, you could stay with her for a while before taking off on your own.”

“Really?”

Jet turned to Manic and she realized he had bronze steampunk goggles on his face, covering his own pink eyes. His chest and neck were covered in maroon wraps while the tip of his tail boasted sapphire feathers. A tiny aqua light hung in front of his face and it was then that Manic realized it was a bulb hooked to his goggles, mimicking an angler fish lure.

“I could really stay here with you? It’s okay?” Jet asked.

Manic found herself nodding. “Of course. It’s just me and King right now, but I’m sure our clan will grow one day.”

“Sweet!” Jet cried. “Man, wait until I tell Rusty and Claude where I’ve ended up!”

“Maybe they’ll join you one day,” Flit shrugged. “That’s Manic’s call, not mine.”

“I’m fine if they do. The more, the merrier,” Manic said, giving a tiny smile.

Flit chirped and they hugged. She kissed Jet’s cheek before zipping back to Mossbeard. The glittering Fae stayed by Manic’s side, watching them move away.

“Bye, Jet! Be good for Manic!” Flit called.

“I will!” Jet cried.

Manic couldn’t help but marvel at Jet’s beauty. His skin sparkled with the light of the glowing mushrooms, like a living beacon in the darkness of the forest. The black and blue and red worked together to make a truly stunning creature.

And she had just been trusted with him.

Jet turned to her and smiled charmingly. “Nice to meet you, miss Manic! Thanks for letting me stay with you. I’ll try not to burden you much.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” King rumbled, hunching close to Manic.

It was a strange pose, a possessive element attached to it that Manic had never seen before. King’s expression bore welcome yet there was warning deep inside. The urge to assert his dominance. This was his turf, his companion, his. Not Jet’s. _His_.

Jet hunkered down, noticing the silent messages King was sending. Mossbeard sent those out almost constantly back home. This was normal. Jet hunched, curling in on himself to make him look far smaller than usual. A submissive pose— _you’re the boss, you’re in charge, no doubts about that_.

Manic looked between the males in confusion before rising with a wave of her wing. She wanted to show Jet the lair and get him situated. Then she wanted to go look for some of those clans that Flit had told her about. She wanted her clan to be bigger than just three dragons.

.o.o.o.o.

The Vexill clan was the first that Manic visited. It was an Arcane clan full of gorgeous dragons, most of them Imperials. These huge antlered dragons towered high above the tiny Fae. There were a few other large species, all beautifully patterned.

The leaders were two Fae, both rather plain compared to their clanmates. The male was Raegan, a mulberry-colored Fae with purple wings and crests. His mate was Etaoin, a charcoal-colored Fae with platinum wings with stone-colored accents. She bore a black bow on her tail as decoration.

As Flit had said, they indeed were surrendering clanmates for adoption into other clans. Manic had already grown accustomed to the art of trading treasure for things. The two Fae were only asking for one treasure in exchange for one of their clanmates.

The dragon in question was an Imperial, a sleek female named Nara. She bore iridescent caribbean-colored scales, darker blues at her head mixing with green-blue hues along her body. Her wings were a shimmering grey color and thick gems of obsidian grew from various spots on her long form. She was huge compared to King, who found himself bristling at the sight of her.

Nara quickly revealed herself to be a shy, soft-spoken dragon with no interest in conflict. That caused King to settle. There was no quarrel between the two. It was even King who invited Nara to join their clan and it was he who surrendered the treasure to Raegan and Etaoin. Thus their clan grew to four.

.o.o.o.o.

The Auction House bore many dragons for a variety of prices, both treasure and gems. Flit had suggested browsing there as well, both to find dragons and friends. Manic zipped between rows of cages housing hatchlings. She found herself primarily looking at Fae babies. Perhaps some kind of kinship pull?

The first she found was a tiny Wind Fae, just three days old. She was small, shadowy skin bearing stripes like a tiger. Her jungle-colored wings shimmered and, much like Nara, gems grew from her skin. These ones were goldenrod in color rather than the obsidian that Nara’s were.

Manic had dug out the required 5000 treasure for the Bellidiastrum clan before she realized it. And name had also already come to mind—Shade.

This process carried on as she looked. Certain hatchlings, all Fae, would catch her eye without warning and she’d be shelling out the treasure for them before she knew it. Nothing King said could stop her, so he focused more on carrying the shivering Fae hatchlings on his back and following along behind Manic as she made her purchases.

They ended up with four hatchlings from the Auction House, each being 5000 treasure to purchase. They returned to the lair to get them settled with Nara, who was happy to cuddle with the young and comfort them. The newborns seemed very happy to be under the protection of such a large dragon.

Manic chose to befriend those that she had purchased the hatchlings from. With Vexill and Bellidiastrum—along with Flit’s clan, called animatedrose—that made six clans they had befriended within a day of their own clan’s creation.

From the ArticSnowFall clan came a young Wind Fae with charcoal skin and wings covered in a pattern of currents and ripples. Tearing across his scales were crackles of thistle coloring. Manic named him Granite.

From the Triclopses clan came a young Light Fae with pink skin covered in purple speckles and stripes, magenta wings accented with light pink currents, and brilliant red circuit markings across her lithe frame. Manic named her Val.

From the Namako clan came a young Arcane Fae with white clown-patterned skin adorned with spots and stripes, mulberry-colored wings carrying dark eye spots, and platinum smoke-like markings along her body and wings. Manic named her Crescent.

Jet was very happy to have babies in the clan, zipping about to show off his sparkling skin. The four young Fae were excited and entertained by the living star before them. Manic smiled as she watched the display. Her heart warmed at the sight.

She was pretty sure she was going to enjoy clan life.

.o.o.o.o.

Manic and King went to visit more clans that Flit had recommended to them. Nara and Jet stayed behind to watch the new babies and get them situated within the lair.

From the PLux clan, they purchased a Water Fae hatchling for ten treasure. He was small with a steel-speckled body, stonewash-freckled wings, and a spring-colored underbelly. Manic named him Depth.

From the Kitzilla clan, they received a hatchling for free as a gift for making a lair. They got a beautiful Lightning Fae hatchling with stonewash cherub markings on her skin. Her white wings were covered in seafoam paint-like markings. Her underbelly glittered with brilliant splash-blue color, like Jet’s wings did. Manic named her CloudNyne.

At this point, their lair was at capacity. Upon returning home with these two new hatchlings, Manic was shocked to see a larger lair than she had left. Nara was dutifully deepening and widening the lair out with her large claws, gouging deep into the marshy ground. Jet was counting cash and treasures that he had gone out to scavenge and earn.

Four adults and six hatchlings rounded out the lair for the first day. Nara guarded the new hatchlings while Jet entertained them with stories of his youth in Flit’s clan. It sounded very much like Flit’s clan had many, many dragons in it.

 _It must. Flit is six months old, after all,_ Manic decided. _Her lair must be much larger than ours is._

“Yeah, Flit’s real cool. Rarely ever see her kids, though. Most leave the clan once they’re old enough. Not that I blame them!” Jet declared, strutting about atop a log, gesticulating with his arms and wings as he spoke. “Mossbeard is a stuffy old man with so many rules, it’s all he says. _Don’t do this, it’s too dangerous! You can’t do this, I forbid it! No, no, no!_ It’s so annoying! I’d hate to be his kid! Thank Arcanist I was lucky enough not to be!”

Manic sighed, huddling against King. The massive Guardian rested his tail against her, detecting her minute sadness.

“What’s wrong?” he rumbled.

“…It’s great that we have clanmates now…but I want to have children one day too,” she admitted. “Like Flit has…”

“…You could.”

“With who?” Manic asked. “Jet’s not interested. Nara is female. The hatchlings are too young.”

“What about me?” King asked.

“…I only met you a few days ago, King. I don’t know if you’d—”

“—be interested?”

Manic felt heat rush to her cheeks. “…Are you?”

King grinned. “Am I?”

By the laws of biology, such a coupling should have never worked. King was a massive Guardian. Manic was a tiny Fae. The size difference alone should’ve made such a union impossible to achieve.

But magic is a beautiful thing. In Sornieth, magic is available in endless amounts to those that search for it. Magic made it possible for them.

By morning the next day, a nest of three beautiful glowing gray and blue eggs rested in the hollow of a stump, carved out and decorated with glowing mushrooms. Manic smiled down at her first clutch. She huddled close to her behemoth of a mate. She was loved.

But magic is double-sided. It can help and heal…as well as hurt and harm. Destroy. Kill.

Manic would learn this, for better or for worse, in the five days it would take for her clutch to hatch.


	3. The Future Seemed So Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I've been busy, so my writing is kinda suffering at the moment. Plus I'm on a Dark Crystal binge. Yeah...

Nara dug the lair out to be so big the next morning. It looked huge to Manic, who cheered and zipped about in joy. Surely they could find more hatchlings in search of homes today!

So that was what she and King did. They went clan hunting again for new hatchlings, all Fae. King had stopped pointing out the number of tiny dragons compared to large ones.

At least the Fae were cute in addition to being tiny.

From the Cuddleh clan, they gave one treasure in exchange for an obsidian-speckled Lightning Fae hatchling with banana-colored wings that sparkled like diamonds. Her underbelly was sand-colored. Manic named her Sunflower.

From the Xynnr clan, they gave one treasure in exchange for a plain-looking Wind Fae hatchling with swamp-colored skin accented with denim. Her wings were the color of steel. Manic named her Olive.

From the SporkLord clan, they gave one treasure for a truly extraordinary dragon. It was an adult Nature Fae, already a year old, in search of a new home. His name was Summerween. His obsidian skin and fire-colored wings were decorated with sharp crackles of orange that covered most of his body. Summerween was very excited to join their clan, curling around the two hatchlings with them and telling them stories.

From the TearzofMercury clan, they paid 7000 treasure for a gorgeous Nature Fae hatchling with shadowy cherub markings on his skin. His wings were a glittering magenta while his belly sparkled with swamp coloring. Manic named him Elvis.

From the Frillshark clan, they paid one treasure for a Wind Fae hatchling bearing white skin covered in icy blotches that resembled paint. His wings were a rusty color with vibrant peregrine markings on them. His belly was thistle-colored. Manic named him Squall.

From the Stormhawke clan, they paid one treasure for a Wind Fae hatchling with slate skin decorated with ripples. Her forest green wings were peregrine-patterned and she had white gems growing from her skin. Manic named her Fir.

From the OverlordFreya clan, they paid one treasure for an Earth Fae hatchling with beige cherub markings and rusty wings covered in stripes. Manic named him Marris.

From the SkyrimWerewolf clan, they got two adult dragons instead of one for 10,000 treasure each. The first was a Plague Fae with platinum clown markings and steel wings decorated with current-like patterns. Her name was DathesHaedSatg, though she preferred to be called Dathe. The second was a Nature Fae with thistle clown markings and white wings covered in spatters of tangerine. His name was CulodCaehsr, though he preferred to be called Culo.

Manic and King headed home after that to drop off their new clanmates. Nara was very happy to have new hatchlings added to the mix. The hatchling Fae swarmed together, chattering loudly and huddling close under the watch of their Imperial babysitter, now aided in her watching by Summerween.

Jet quickly zipped over to the young progenitors of the clan. “Yo! Flit dropped by! She has some other Fae that want to join up, if you want them.”

“Really? Already?” Manic asked, surprised.

“Yep!” Jet nodded. “She says to meet where you met before. Got four for you—Claude, Rusty, and Basil’s two boys, I think.”

“That’s great! Oh, King!” Manic swooped around, catching the Guardian’s face in her tiny paws. “Look! Our clan is growing bigger by the second!”

“I can tell,” King chuckled, low and earthshaking.

“We’ll go right now! You and Nara take care of things, okay?” Manic requested.

“Will do!” Jet saluted, zipping back to the group of hatchlings to help Nara and Summerween watch them.

.o.o.o.o.

It wasn’t very far to where they first met Flit and Mossbeard. They were both there, accompanied by four Fae. Manic was fast to zip over and exchange greetings with the purple Fae, glad to see her again.

“How’s Jet? Is he being good?” Flit asked.

“Not causing you trouble, is he?” Mossbeard rumbled.

“He’s just fine! He’s great at keeping all the hatchlings entertained,” Manic admitted. “I’m glad to have him! Really, I am!”

“You’ve got hatchlings?” Flit asked, amazed.

“I visited the clans you suggested, I went to the Auction House, and I’ve looked for notices of lair purges. I’ve found a lot,” Manic explained. “Granted, they’re all Fae so far but—”

“We’ll be fine. Got Nara, big old Imperial. She can handle a clan of Fae,” King chuckled.

“Sounds like you’re starting out good so far,” Mossbeard admitted.

“Thank you,” Manic chirped, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“You got your own nest yet?” Mossbeard asked, smirking. “Flit and I started right away.”

Manic squeaked, face red. King laughed before nodding, telling the swampy Guardian about their nest and the three eggs within it. Mossbeard grinned approvingly at that.

Flit sighed. “Mossbeard sounds and acts all tough…but he loves kids,” she explained.

“I can tell,” Manic admitted, shaking off her blush. “So, who are these guys? Jet said you had four.”

“Oh, right! Guys!” Flit called, waving her fellow Fae over.

All four were males, Manic noted. Two looked older while two were hatchlings. One of the older ones came forward first.

He was a rust-colored Arcane Fae with emerald-colored wings. He wore a brown vest with a string of thick green beads around his neck, various green birdskull decorations on his wings and left arm, bronze steampunk spats on his feet, a green birdskull headdress over his face with brass steampunk goggles over those, and a green aviator scarf around his neck.

“This is Rusty. We found him as a scavenged egg quite a few months ago,” Flit explained. “He started the whole campaign to leave our clan for another.”

“I just wanted to get out for a while. It gets stuffy in the lair with all the older dragons,” Rusty argued, sounding almost childish.

“I must agree with Rusty on that one,” said the second older-looking Fae.

He was a Light Fae of an iridescent shadow color. His purple wings bore stripes of darker and lighter shades. His underbelly was the glimmering color of blood. Purple birdskull ornaments were strung around his neck and left arm while a glowing red deepsea bulb dangled from between the crests on his head. He had a red warrior face mask.

“This is Claude. He’s a bit younger than Rusty but he’s been in our clan for a few months now,” Flit introduced.

“Pleasure to meet you, Manic. I hope we aren’t bothering you with our request for lodging,” Claude stated gently, no doubt smiling under his face.

“Oh, and those two are Glace and Solertree. They’re kids of a friend of ours. Maybe he’ll join us one day,” Rusty added, jerking a claw over his shoulder at the other two Fae.

Both Arcane hatchlings were sparkling with shiny wings and crackles of color over their skin. Beyond those similarities, they looked nothing alike. One was sparkling pink with shimmering carmine wings covered in rust-colored crackles. The other was sparkling maize with glittering black wings and crimson crackles covering his skin. Judging from Rusty’s statement, the two had to be brothers.

“Glace is the pink one and Solertree is the yellow one,” Claude explained. “Basil, their father, thought it best to bring them with us. There aren’t many hatchling in our lair anymore, so they wouldn’t have any playmates.”

“Well, I hope they’ll enjoy it here,” Manic said.

Glace was already prodding away at a glowing mushroom, squeaking curiously at it. Solertree toddled behind his brother, cautious of the glowing fungus. When its cap broke off from Glace’s constant prodding, both hatchlings reared back and hissed at it like cats.

Manic giggled before surrendering the four treasure required to accept them. After a hug goodbye, they bid Flit and Mossbeard adieu and led their four new members home.

Jet rapidly zipped forward, gathering his two friends up in a hug. Glace and Solertree squeaked in joy when they saw their fellow hatchlings, bounding forward to join the group. Nara smiled welcomingly before turning to listen to Summerween’s story as the older Fae described the territory of his last clan. The hatchlings listened, slowly nodding off one by one.

“Want to head out for a while?” King asked. “Pretty sure the kids are well taken care of.”

“…Sure,” Manic agreed.

Nara and the adult Fae stayed behind to care for the pile of snoozing hatchlings. Manic paid their nest another check, pride swelling in her chest. Just four more days until she and King were parents. Then she zipped back to King and they set off into the depths of the wood.

The light of the mushrooms made Manic feel calm. Relaxed, even. This was her home. She had been born here, clawed out territory here, and now had a clan here. This was all her space.

All hers.

King rested amongst the dark grasses and glowing mushrooms, dozing in the fading light of day. Manic perched atop his broad back, snapping up insects that buzzed by her. She was soon full. Lounging atop her mate, she was nearly asleep herself when she heard the sound of a voice calling.

“Free Mirrors! Any new clans can get a free Mirror here!”

“Mirror?” Manic asked.

“It’s a breed of dragon,” King explained, lifting his head and yawning. “Four-eyed wolfish things that run in packs. I’ve seen a few. Guess someone is giving some away.”

“Maybe we should check it out,” Manic suggested.

King blinked tiredly before getting up. “Fine.”

The stall wasn’t very far away, manned by a blue and green Poison-gened dragon with white spines running down his back. He certainly looked like a wolf in build, minus the fur and face. Two long crests extended from the back of his skull like fans.

“Oh, hey there!” he greeted, waving a green-gloved paw. “Name’s Stira! Nice to meet you!”

“You’re giving away hatchlings?” Manic asked, peering into a gated playpen full of baby Mirrors that rested by his stall.

“Yep! You look rather young. New clan?” Stira asked curiously.

“Yep! Just a few days old,” Manic nodded.

“Well then, take your pick. They’re free to good homes,” Stira offered. “Just spreading the swarm around a bit. Can’t keep them all, sadly.”

“They’re all yours?” King asked.

“Huh? Oh, no! Most of my clanmates’, not mine,” Stira explained. “I just go around and find them homes. I prefer new clans since they’re always looking for new members.”

“Good idea,” King admitted. “See any you like, Manic?”

The white Fae skimmed through the hatchlings, who wrestled with each other. They all bore so many colors and genes. It was hard to keep track of any one individual. They were all so energetic.

Yet black and gray kept zipping about, catching her eye. She kept searching, trying to pinpoint the owner. After several minutes, she sighed.

“Hard to keep an eye on them all, huh? What colors?” Stira asked.

“I saw black and gray. Feather patterns. Maybe cherub and seraph genes?” Manic explained.

“I know the one.”

Stira hunched over the playpen, scanning with his goggle-covered eyes. A minute passed before he suddenly surged his forepaws into the pen, causing the hatchlings to scatter. With a shrill screech, one was pulled from the mass. It twisted, hissing, wiggling around and attempting to bite his fingers.

She was an obsidian Mirror, cherub markings on her body and seraph markings on her wings. Her four eyes were a light green, indicating she was from Wind flight.

Manic was in love. “Her,” she decided.

“Toothy little thing, she is. Best to let your mate handle her until she settles down,” Stira suggested, holding the squirming Mirror out to King.

King took her very carefully in his jaws. The faint prick of his teeth made the tiny hatchling freeze instantly. She knew danger when she felt it. She settled down instantly.

“Thank you. We’ll take good care of her,” Manic promised.

“Good luck with her, you two!” Stira called, waving goodbye to the duo as they left his stand behind.

.o.o.o.o.

Manic named her Ash for her coloring, black and gray.

Most of the Fae hatchlings recoiled, squealing in fear of the toothy and wild Mirror hatchling. Ash raced to and fro, snapping her baby jaws at anything and everything she could reach—tails, paws, wings, crests, it didn’t matter. Most of the Fae flew out of her reach, adults hauling the hatchlings onto logs a good distance from the marshy ground to avoid her.

“Was this a good idea?” Summerween asked, looking in disbelief at Ash.

“I’m sure she’ll settle in…and down,” Manic reassured nervously.

“If she keeps tearing the lair up, Nara and I will put her in her place,” King promised, swatting at the Mirror when she zoomed by.

“I hope so,” Summerween huffed, sheltering some of the cowering hatchlings in his vibrant orange wings.

“Yo, guys! Look who I just got!”

Jet zipped from the gloom, having disappeared while Manic and King were away. Behind him flew another Fae, an adult with speckled obsidian skin and shimmering midnight wings. Her body was covered in crackles of obsidian. Her eyes were bright green, proving her origin as a Nature Fae.

The duo landed atop the log that Summerween and most of the hatchlings were on. Summerween’s anger died when he set eyes on the Fae, his jaw dropping. She smiled shyly at him.

“Guys, this is Eirene,” Jet explained. “I found her at the Auction House. I…kinda spent all of our gems to get her…but she’d really love to stay here with us! If that’s okay, I mean…”

“Eirene,” Summerween said softly.

“Yes?” Eirene asked, smiling at him.

“Just… Your name is beautiful,” Summerween said, trying to cover up for staring.

“And what is your name, handsome?” Eirene teased.

The elder blushed. “I am Summerween.”

“Summerween,” she repeated. “I like it.”

King sighed, watching the pair flirt with each other. He looked at Jet and waved him away. It was pointless to say no now that the gems had been spent. Besides, he had a feeling Summerween would be upset if they turned Eirene away.

He yelped when teeth sank into one of his toes. He swatted, sending Ash spinning into the grass.

They had a lot of work to do here.

.o.o.o.o.

By day’s end, Ash had tuckered herself out. Chasing Nara’s long tail tuft around tended to do that. The Mirror was now huddled by the Imperial’s broad side, snoring away softly.

Once she was out, the hatchlings foraged briefly before forming piles to sleep in. Summerween and Eirene stayed up longer than them, content to speak long into the night. Jet, Rusty, and Claude nested high up in a tree, not interested in being too close to the hatchlings or the new lovebirds down below.

King and Manic retired to their stump nest, where the three eggs sat peacefully. Manic checked each egg over carefully before smiling. All safe. King smiled too before curling around the old stump, his blue bulk keeping the nest from view.

Manic perched atop his back, watching the stars and the inky darkness of the sky. She was happy.

“Do you think we’ll make good parents, King?”

“We’ll do the best we can. If all else fails, we’ll ask how Flit and Mossbeard did it,” the Guardian shrugged. “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I hope you’re right.” She shuddered, suddenly cold. “I’d hate to fail as a parent…”

She moved, nuzzling into the warmth of her mate’s scales.

It was a long, cold night. Manic just couldn’t seem to warm up…


End file.
